Overwhelmed!

Hey all. I just signed up today.

I used to be pretty hardcore into MTB'ing about 10 years ago. Used to race a bit here and there.. Anyway, I just decided to get back into it, and I'm completely overwhelmed by the new technology and the new bike manufacturers on the market. I still have my 12 year old GIANT, and I'm really looking to get something new. It's a heavy beast, and after hitting a few bike shops this weekend, I realized the new bikes are just awesome.

All of the BIG manufacturers are still pretty much the same. Before dumping a bunch of money on a bike, I'd suggest checking out this forum in depth, for one...also check out the product review section for a seriously in depth analysis of pretty much every bike on the market.

Also, test ride as many as possible. The one that feels the best to you should be the one you go with, regardless of brand.

FWIW I ride a Gary Fisher, and I love the Gensis geometry...I haven't had a chance to really check out their G2 geometry though.

The big ones are more or less the same, minus GT, Schwinn (bought by Pacific...ala Next bikes at wal-mart), probably Diamondback (they're more into big box stores like Dick's these days), too.

So, you're left with:
Specialized
Giant
Trek/Fisher
as the current major players who were big back then.

You've also got Santa Cruz who has become ever more present over the years. Browse the manufacturers forums down at the bottom of the page. A number of them are specialty manufacturers that produce pretty low volumes, but have something of a cult following.

Suspension technology is where most of the differences you'll see will be found. I'm not talking about rear linkages and stuff like that...nothing terribly new there (FSR is still what everyone is chasing). The meat of it is in shock technology. Air shocks have really come of age, and even some pretty long travel bikes are coming with air shocks on them. They're also crazy light compared to years ago. 4 inches front (and rear) is considered pretty much xc. Up to 6" is considered 'all mountain' which is basically aggressive xc (riding up and down the mtn plus jumps, hucks, and really gnarly terrain), and more than 6" is the really aggressive DH or free ride (really big air, manmade obstacles, stuff like that). 5" travel bikes can be found in the 26lb range, and 6" travel bikes are in the 30lb range (though some can be less).

Disc brakes are more or less standard equipment on all but the weight weeniest of bikes. Hydraulic disc brakes seem to offer more performance, while the mechanical disc brakes give folks a lower priced entry point (some still offer good performance).

The fully rigid singlespeed has a cult following if you like the minimalist approach. Depending on the style of riding you do, you might find 1x9, 2x9, or 3x9 as viable options, too.

Racing has been strongly de-emphasized in the mtb scene, though endurance events (6, 12, and 24 hour races) do have a following.

The big ones are more or less the same, minus GT, Schwinn (bought by Pacific...ala Next bikes at wal-mart), probably Diamondback (they're more into big box stores like Dick's these days), too.

So, you're left with:
Specialized
Giant
Trek/Fisher
as the current major players who were big back then.

You've also got Santa Cruz who has become ever more present over the years. Browse the manufacturers forums down at the bottom of the page. A number of them are specialty manufacturers that produce pretty low volumes, but have something of a cult following.

Suspension technology is where most of the differences you'll see will be found. I'm not talking about rear linkages and stuff like that...nothing terribly new there (FSR is still what everyone is chasing). The meat of it is in shock technology. Air shocks have really come of age, and even some pretty long travel bikes are coming with air shocks on them. They're also crazy light compared to years ago. 4 inches front (and rear) is considered pretty much xc. Up to 6" is considered 'all mountain' which is basically aggressive xc (riding up and down the mtn plus jumps, hucks, and really gnarly terrain), and more than 6" is the really aggressive DH or free ride (really big air, manmade obstacles, stuff like that). 5" travel bikes can be found in the 26lb range, and 6" travel bikes are in the 30lb range (though some can be less).

Disc brakes are more or less standard equipment on all but the weight weeniest of bikes. Hydraulic disc brakes seem to offer more performance, while the mechanical disc brakes give folks a lower priced entry point (some still offer good performance).

The fully rigid singlespeed has a cult following if you like the minimalist approach. Depending on the style of riding you do, you might find 1x9, 2x9, or 3x9 as viable options, too.

Racing has been strongly de-emphasized in the mtb scene, though endurance events (6, 12, and 24 hour races) do have a following.

A buddy of mine bought a Santa Cruz Superlight and loved it. Then he bought a Kona frame and built it into a single speed. He loved the geometry/feel of the kona so much he almost turned around and sold the santa cruz on the spot, as he never rode it. Just another opinion.

So many choices. I'm going to stick with my ATX 770 for a bit, just to make sure I stick with the riding. If i get back into it as much as I think I'm going to, I'll invest in a decent ride.

What a great idea!!! If you do catch the bug I bet you will be lusting after your dream bike in no time. I suggest you avoid the urge to heavily upgrade your old bike and just save for the new bike with all the new technology. But do ride what you have and you will figure out what you want and have a ton of fun in the process. Enjoy and welcome back!

What a great idea!!! If you do catch the bug I bet you will be lusting after your dream bike in no time. I suggest you avoid the urge to heavily upgrade your old bike and just save for the new bike with all the new technology. But do ride what you have and you will figure out what you want and have a ton of fun in the process. Enjoy and welcome back!

I'm going to do that I think. Just from going on the ride yesterday I know I'm going to need a new bike. I can tell my wheels need to be rebuilt, my shock definitely is toast, and my derailleurs are about at the end of their life. The bike still works, and I can probably get another month of life out of it before I need to upgrade.

You could probably get a lot of miles out of a decent tune up. Even an old bike can rock on the trails when it's in good working order. You may only need some fine tuning. Take it to your LBS and get an estimate. If it starts looking like the money pit save for the new one.

Check it out! Bought a bike this weekend. I'd been looking around craigslist for the past week or so and found this bad boy. It's barely be ridden, and is in near perfect condition. Seems the previous owner bought it, and rode it once.

I was in the same boat as you two years ago. I used to pund around on a trek 930 about ten or so years ago (kids are my excuse). I decided to start riding again with a couple of buddies so I stole their bikes to see what the full suspension "craze" was all about. Holy crap, what a difference! Things I used to have to walk across I can now bomb through, and it's not because I am better. I am probably worse, since I am forty overworked and out of shape.

I think all of the major guys make great bikes theses days. Ten years ago, FS had its share of issues, but those days are long gone. I ended up with a Marin because I found a really good deal. Could not be happier. The bike can take a beating, well, except for that damn rear hanger. Easy fix though.